1. Field
The present invention relates generally to occupant restraint systems for automotive vehicles and more particularly to an integrated side-impact airbag and inflatable seat belt system.
2. Background Art
Side airbag systems for automotive vehicles are well known. Current side airbag systems typically include an airbag module mounted to a seat back frame, usually adjacent the outboard side of the seat back. Such airbag modules include an airbag stored in a deflated condition and an inflator that provides gasses to inflate the airbag when triggered by an impact or roll-over sensor. When inflated, the side airbag expands to be positioned between the door, B-pillar, or vehicle side wall adjacent the seat and the seat occupant's thorax, arm, and/or shoulder regions. See, for example, U.S. Patent Application US 2006/0012155 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In some side impact situations, a thorax airbag of the type of side airbag described above may not offer an optimum level of protection for the seat occupant's pelvic region. It is possible to utilize a side airbag that, in the inflated condition, extends further downward to provide protection of the pelvic region in addition to the thorax. Compared with a thorax-only airbag, such a pelvic-thorax airbag may need to be mounted lower on the side of the seat back frame in order for the bag to inflate quickly enough to deploy the pelvic portion of the airbag to the desired position in the extremely short time interval available in a crash situation. A possible issue with this lower mounting position is that may conflict with certain seat features, such as a fold-flat mechanism, that occupy the same location on the seat frame need for the side airbag.
Inflatable seatbelt systems can also contribute to occupant safety. A typical inflatable belt system includes belt webbing configured for use as a three-point harness and providing both a lap belt and a shoulder belt. The belt webbing envelopes or otherwise surrounds an elongated inflatable airbag and a fold or rip-seam in the webbing opens to permit the airbag to expand. The airbag may be located in the portion of the webbing that forms the lap belt, the shoulder belt, or both. See, for example, U.S. Patent Application US 2006/0208471A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Patent Application US 2008/0018085 A1 discloses a belt-integrated pelvis airbag wherein an inflatable belt section is configured as a side impact airbag such that at least a portion of the airbag inflates between the side of the vehicle and the seat occupant. The inflatable belt section is connected with a gas source that is mounted in a seat belt retractor frame so that the gas source may be used to activate a belt pretensioner system simultaneously with inflation of the belt.